'Dementia tax' explained - what is Theresa May's policy and what it means for YOU

DEMENTIA is currently the leading cause of death in the UK and by 2040, it is estimated 219,409 people in England and Wales will die from dementia. Theresa May has recently announced changes to social care - but what are they and what will they mean for your future?

Dementia is described as a set of symptoms which can include memory loss, difficulty problem solving, thinking and can lead to behavioural changes such as a change in temperament or mood - but it can affect people in very different ways.

Dementia cannot be cured or effectively treated. This means sufferers are increasingly forking out for costly social care rather than accessing free NHS treatment, which covers diseases like cancer.

Current estimates suggest that the basic cost of dementia care in the UK costs £32,250.

How do people afford to live with dementia?

Currently, older people who have assets, including their house, worth more than £23,250, must part fund the cost of the care they receive.

If an older person has dementia and only needs care at home - rather than in a care home - they will not be forced to sell their property.

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The Conservative Party manifesto set out plans for more pensioners to contribute to the cost of their care.

What was the U-turn?

Theresa May faced criticism for the policy so she announced a cap on the number of people forced to pay for their own care.

The Prime Minister said there will be an ‘absolute’ limit on the amount people have to pay for their care costs.

The Liberal Democrats said nine out of ten homes in England could be sold under the proposals.

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Dementia care - experts said it would take the average person 125 years to save enough money

A study, published in the journal BMC Medicine two weeks ago, saw experts analyse mortality statistics for England and Wales from 2006 to 2014.

Researchers from the Cicely Saunders Institute at King's College London then calculated the proportion of people who need palliative care, and corresponding rises over the nine-year period.

They estimated that by 2040, the annual number of deaths in England and Wales will rise by 25.4 per cent to 628,659.

Dr Simon Noah Etkind from the Cicely Saunders Institute and lead author on the study, said: "By 2040, national data suggests there will be a rise in the prevalence of chronic progressive illnesses, and we believe that many of these will require symptom relief and palliative care.

"We estimate that at least 85 per cent of deaths in 2040 will require some form of palliative care and we can predict a shift towards dementia as a greater contributor to palliative care need."

An investigation by Alzheimer’s Society released this month has revealed the scale of the worrying situation.

It said currently it would take the average person 125 years to save enough money - £800 a year - to cover typical costs.

Rob Burley, the charity’s director of policy, said: “We have heard of deeply troubling cases where people affected by dementia have had to empty their bank accounts and sell their home to foot a tremendous bill for social care. This is simply not fair.

“Other diseases are supported by the NHS yet people with dementia fall into a void and feel abandoned by the state.

“Successive governments have shirked this issue. On behalf of people with dementia I challenge the next Government to create a long term, sustainable system for funding dementia care.”

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